Hitherto, trimebutine maleate has been primarily used as an ameliorant for gastrointestinal motility.
The trimebutine maleate has wide utility due to its two-face activities of promoting and suppressing the gastric movement. However, it is not necessarily satisfactory in that relatively large amounts, i.e., 300 mg per day of dose are required.
To avoid this disadvantage, studies have been conducted in search for ameliorants for gastrointestinal motility which can replace trimebutine maleate.
For example, (1-dimethylaminoindan-1-yl)methyl ester of substituted benzoic acid and (1-dimethylamino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-yl)methyl ester of substituted benzoic acid are reported to have anticonvulsive activity, antiulcer activity and local anesthetic activity ("Scientia Pharmaceutica" vol. 56, pp. 243-250, 1988).
These, however, do not necessarily provide sufficient ameliorating activity on the gastrointestinal motility.
Accordingly, development of drugs which possess more stronger ameliorating activity on the gastrointestinal motility has still been desired.
The present inventors have carried out earnest studies under the mentioned circumstances, and have found that a specified trialkylamine derivatives exhibit excellent ameliorating activity on the gastrointestinal motility leading to completion of the invention.